How to build a cheap shorty roof rack for your split bus

[iceneweb]

Just built a shorty roof rack for my split bus for around $130

I got the brackets from NRS.com. They're called 'Quick n Easy", are nicely made solid castings and go on without any tools. All four were $69.95 and the tube holders $32. Free shipping within the US, so I had them sent to a postal service in Point Roberts (The Letter Carrier).

For the cross tubes, I went to Home Depot and picked up a 10' length of 3/4" galvanised conduit. For the ends I looked in the plumbing section and found some nice brass fittings that just screw on (tapered pipe-thread).

Because of the limited 'rise' of the brackets, the rack only works on the back section of the bus roof. I'm going to shim up the tube holders a bit with some flat washers and longer bolts for an extra inch or so of height.

All in all this is exactly right for me (for now). Somewhere to store the spare wheel and some other bits and pieces.

Cheers!

[BUSDADDY]

You may want to give those tubes a little kink, that close to the roof now will touch once loaded and even empty they will whistle like a MoFo on the highway, woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Looks good otherwise!

[beetlemandan]

You may want to give those tubes a little kink, that close to the roof now will touch once loaded and even empty they will whistle like a MoFo on the highway, woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Looks good otherwise!

ditto